Louis the Pious

Louis "the Pious" of West Francia (1 January 778-20 June 840) was the king of Aquitaine from 781 to 814 (succeeding Charlemagne and preceding Pepin I of Aquitaine), the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from 813 to 840 (succeeding Charlemagne and preceding Lothaire of Italy), and the Emperor of the Frankish Empire from 814 to 840 (succeeding Charlemagne and preceding Lothaire of Italy, Louis II of Italy, and Charles II of West Francia).

Biography
Louis was the son of Charlemagne and Hildegarde of Vinzgau, born in Chasseneuil-du-Poitou in France while his father was on campaign in Spain against the Basques and Moors. Under his father, he was King of Aquitaine, enfeoffed there in 781. In 801 he conquered Barcelona from the Moors and also conquered Pamplona and the land south of the Pyrenees from the Basques in 812. He was the only surviving adult son of Charlemagne and Hildegard, so he became the sole ruler of the Franks after the death of his father in 814. He included his sons Lothaire of Italy, Pepin I of Aquitaine, and Louis II of East Francia in his government. He had his nephew Bernard of Italy blinded because of a plot against him, but the process killed him. In the 830s his sons fought over the division of his lands, and when he decided to include his second wife's son Charles II of West Francia in succession plans, Lothaire, Pepin, and Louis rebelled against him several times. By the end of his reign, order was largely restored, and he died in 840.